The New Orleans Film Society's third annual Film-O-Rama enters its third day today (April 22) with perhaps its best start-to-finish lineup. Among the highlights: the documentary "Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters," about the art photographer and his astonishing images. It tops the Day 3 installment of my day-by-day Film-O-Rama guide-o-rama, which includes daily schedules and one must-see highlight for each day:.

So it stands to reason that the well-made "Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters," a portrait of the artist and his process, is one of the more magnetic entries in this year's Film-O-Rama lineup.

Directed by Ben Shapiro and hinging on the cooperation of Crewdson, this engaging profile is difficult if not impossible to look away from once it gets going -- not at all unlike Crewdson's photographs.

Shapiro wisely stays out of the way and lets the spotlight stay squarely on Crewdson and his artwork, consisting largely of twilight photos of "moments between moments" captured in the derelict suburban setting of Pittsfield, Mass. Crewdson serves as a de-facto narrator to it all, describing his motivations and his process, while Shapiro's cameras tag along on several shoots in Crewdson's epic "Beneath the Roses" series, a collection of 50 photos taken over eight years.

The result is a straightforwardly constructed profile of a fascinating man.

Note: Shapiro will participate in a discussion after the screening, which is sponsored by the New Orleans Photo Alliance.

Film-O-Rama ticket info: Tickets to all shows are $11 ($10 for New Orleans Film Society members), except for "The Lady Vanishes," which is $5.75. Tickets are available at the Prytania box office or online at the Prytania Theatre website.